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Review of the threshold level of qualification for entry to the Register

One of our key roles is to set the standards for education and training that education and training programmes must meet in order to be approved by the HCPC.

When a service user receives care or treatment from a health or social work professional regulated by the HCPC, they need to be confident that they have an appropriate level of training to be able to practise effectively and safely. To ensure this is the case, we require education and training programmes to have met certain standards (the ‘threshold level’) to grant graduates of these programmes eligibility to apply to join the Register.

We have recently published a position statement setting out how we review the threshold levels.

Frequently asked questions

As the professions we regulate develop over time, it is important to ensure that our regulation of those professions supports that development while ensuring that service users are safe.

As a consequence, from time to time we may review the threshold levels for a particular profession to ensure it continues to reflect the current standard of proficiency for that profession. We will consider how the profession has changed over time, and the complexity of the education and training required to meet the standards.

We will also consider if the majority of entrants to a profession are qualifying at a level above the existing threshold, but which is necessary to meet the existing standard of proficiency. When we consulted on changing the threshold level of paramedics, for example, we found that 96% of educational programmes were above the threshold.

We reviewed a threshold level for the first time in 2018, when we decided to increase the threshold for paramedics from certificate to degree level.

The policy statement has now been published to confirm how we will carry out any future reviews of the threshold level for any of the professions we regulate.

What professions are you planning to change the threshold for?

We have no particular plans to review any of the threshold levels for the professions we regulate at the moment, but the policy statement clarifies the process we will follow when we do carry out reviews in the future.

Nothing. So long as your education and training met the threshold level that was in place when you joined the register, there will be no impact on you, and you will be able to continue to be registered with the HCPC.

If you have already started a programme and a threshold change means that the programme no longer meets the revised threshold, don’t worry. We will normally provide a lead in time for the revised threshold change to take effect.

For example, paramedic programmes below the revised threshold for this profession can continue admitting new cohorts until 1 September 2021. From this point forward, only degree level paramedic programmes will be approved by us, and open to admitting new learners.

When a change to the threshold is implemented, we will only approve programmes that can demonstrate they are equivalent to the threshold level. You will need to ensure that any programme you undertake in the future is approved by us.

Any change to the threshold would not affect your ability to apply for registration with HCPC, even if you decide not to apply for registration until after the threshold has changed. This is because SET 1 is about the contemporary level of education and training required for entry to the Register. It applies to approved programmes for registration going forward and is not applied retrospectively.

If the threshold were to change, this would mean that all approved programmes delivered below the new threshold would need to be phased out.

Before any change to the threshold, we would consult with education providers to determine appropriate timescales for this. More detailed advice relating to this process would be provided at the time of the Council decision.

If the threshold were to change, this would mean that all approved programmes delivered below the new threshold would need to be phased out. However until a programme is formally closed, we would require education providers to engage with us through our annual monitoring and major change processes as normal.

Before any change to the threshold, we would consult with education providers to determine appropriate timescales for this. More detailed advice relating to this process would be provided at the time of the Council decision.